FAQ – Travel Insurance

Before you go any further...

This FAQ concerns only group insurance, and retirement and end of employment products, such as Perspective, Aon, Mercer Retiree Solution or Privilege.

Safe travels are the best travels! Remember to always read and comply with the Canadian government’s travel advisories (This hyperlink will open in a new tab)..

Cancellation or interruption

Since October 1, 2020, the following situations apply BEFORE YOUR DEPARTURE if your insurance includes trip cancellation coverage:

If the Government of Canada’s travel health notice for your travel destination changes from Level 1 or 2 at the time of purchase to Level 3 before your departure, then it is possible to cancel your trip. If you decide to travel, you will still be covered for travel assistance (emergency medical expenses including COVID-19) for as long as the Government of Canada’s travel health notice level does not change to Level 4.

If the Government of Canada’s travel health notice for your travel destination changes from Level 1, 2 or 3 at the time of purchase to Level 4 before your departure, then it is possible and recommended that you cancel your trip. If you do not, you will not be covered for travel assistance.

The Government of Canada issues 4 travel health notices for travel destinations as follows:

  • Level 1 - Exercise normal security precautions
  • Level 2 - Exercise a high degree of caution
  • Level 3 - Avoid all non-essential travel
  • Level 4 - Avoid all travel

No. However, your stay outside of Quebec must not exceed the maximum of 183 days (except for groups with shorter maximums per calendar year).

Yes, if the illness is severe enough to warrant cancellation. You must provide proof of your medical condition.

  • Completed and signed claim form
  • Proof of trip cancellation from the provider
  • Copy of any credits and refunds you’ve received
  • Detailed invoices from your service providers, including their cancellation policies
  • Proof of payment for the trip (like your credit card or bank statement)
  • Your plane tickets (if applicable)
  • Completed and signed request for direct deposit form (if applicable)
  • Proof of a positive PCR or rapid test result for COVID-19

  • Detailed receipt including:
    • Name, signature and address of the health care provider
    • Location of service
    • List of services received
    • Cost and date of services received
  • Medical reports
  • Laboratory results (if applicable)
  • Proof of payment
  • Transaction record (if applicable)
  • Claim forms (completed and signed)

  1. To start, contact the first payer, namely, your travel service providers (e.g. your airline or travel agency), 72 hours before a deposit becomes due by your travel agent.
  2. Then contact the travel assistance provided by your travel insurance, 72 hours before your departure or a deposit becomes due by your travel agent. The number is indicated on the back of your Insurance card or in your Client Centre.

For Quebec residents who purchased a trip from a travel agency in Quebec

First, submit a reimbursement request directly to the Compensation Fund for Customers of Travel Agents (CFCTA) in the following situations:

  • Transportation not received
  • Lodging not received
  • Tourist activities not received
  • Main service not received
  • Compromised security
  • Departure or repatriation required
  • Closure or bankruptcy of the travel agency

Then, you must submit a claim form to your travel insurance assistance service.

Since February 28, 2022, the alert level has remained at 2. In the event that the Government of Canada were to raise it again (3 or 4), trip cancellation insurance could apply.

An advisory to avoid non-essential travel outside Canada must be in effect at the time of departure.

If you were offered a travel credit as compensation, we consider this a reimbursement. We will therefore deduct the travel credit (whether you accepted it or not) from your insurance amount. If the travel credit is equal to your insurance amount, you will not receive any further reimbursement from Beneva.

No. You are not eligible for a refund if you do not meet vaccination requirements, or if you do not meet the PCR / Antigen testing requirements as it is not a cancellation reason listed under your contract terms.

If your airline cancels your trip, visit its website or contact your travel agent for the procedure to follow.

For Beneva, a travel credit is equivalent to a reimbursement. Therefore, whether you accept the travel credit or not, we will deduct this amount from the reimbursement.

If the travel credit is equal to the total amount, you will not receive any reimbursement from Beneva.

If you do not obtain a full reimbursement or credit for the cancellation of your trip, Beneva will reimburse you for the eligible expenses under your contract.

If you want to cancel your cruise, the following conditions must be met:

  • You must have trip cancellation insurance.
  • The cruise must have been booked after March 7, 2022, when the Canadian government lifted its travel advisory to avoid all travel on board cruise ships.

Yes. Your travel insurance coverage will be maintained until your return to Canada.

Expenses related to emergency medical care, including those related to COVID-19 are covered. All other expenses, including accommodation and living expenses, are not covered under your insurance contract.

Additional expenses incurred while awaiting COVID-19 screening test results are not covered (for example, the cost for new plane tickets or changing the return date on the existing ticket, accommodation and living expenses, etc.).

Yes, you can cancel or extend your trip if you are placed under quarantine, as long as the quarantine ends 7 days or less before your scheduled departure date or occurs during your trip.

Before incurring any expenses, you must contact your travel insurance assistance service. The contact information is indicated on your insurance card and in your Client Centre.

No, before booking your trip, you must ensure that your passports and visas are in order or will be before your departure.

Baggage

In the event of loss or damage, all claims must be addressed with your airline. Go to their website or contact your airline to find out what to do.

Emergency medical care

If your health is good and stable, you don't need to notify us before departure.

If you have a known illness, you must make sure that:

  • your health is good and stable before going abroad
  • to be covered, the known illness or condition must be under control.

If you plan to travel to a high-risk country or region, be sure to consult the Travel Advice and Advisories (This hyperlink will open in a new tab). as well as the Travel Health Notices (This hyperlink will open in a new tab). issued by the Government of Canada. If a travel advisory is in effect for your destination, please contact CanAssistance, our travel insurance partner, for more information.

As of October 1, 2020

Yes, you are covered for emergency medical expenses (including those related to COVID 19) for any destination for which a travel advisory notice was issued by the Government of Canada (Levels 1, 2 and 3).

Your health must be good and stable before departure.

All emergency medical expenses are not covered for destinations for which the Canadian government has issued a Level 4 notice.

Travel advisory notice issued by the Government of Canada

  • Level 1 - Exercise normal security precautions
  • Level 2 - Exercise a high degree of caution
  • Level 3 - Avoid non-essential travel
  • Level 4 - Avoid all travel

Note to FNEEQ and AREF members: For destinations with a Level 3 travel health notice on the departure date, travel insurance coverage is limited to 30 days.

The following expenses are eligible according to the maximum amount provided for under the contract:

  • Medical expenses
  • Additional expenses incurred for the purchase of a return ticket, or change fees for an existing ticket, according to the following parameters:
    • Single, economy-class ticket
    • Flight operated by a public carrier with a fixed schedule
    • Most direct route to the initially planned destination

Accommodation and living expenses are not covered unless indicated in the contract.

Expenses related to mandatory stopovers in a third country are not covered by your travel insurance plan. This includes costs incurred related to living expenses, accommodation fees and itinerary change fees.

Call your travel insurance assistance service. You will be referred to a healthcare professional.

This information is provided on your insurance card and in your Client Centre.

During a Level 4 warning
You are not covered for emergency medical expenses, including those related to COVID-19. This is valid for all cruises, as long as the Canadian government maintains a Level 4 warning, a warning to avoid all travel on a cruise ship.

During a Level 3 warning or below
You are covered for emergency medical expenses, including those related to COVID-19. This is valid for all cruises, as long as the Canadian government maintains a Level 3 warning and below.

Yes, you might be. For countries where the Canadian government has issued a Level 1, 2 or 3 travel advisory, you will be covered for emergency medical care. Unless you have war risk coverage, you will not be covered if the federal government issues a Level 4 travel advisory. Please consult your contract for more details and refer to the Government of Canada site to find out the travel advisory level that applies to the country where you will be travelling.

Please note that the situation is currently very unstable in countries bordering Ukraine and that it may deteriorate suddenly. The federal government’s travel advisory level could change in the coming weeks and accessing emergency medical care or repatriation may be difficult, even unfeasible, in some regions.

The Government of Canada issues four levels of travel health notices for travel destinations:

  • Level 1 - Exercise normal security precautions
  • Level 2 - Exercise a high degree of caution
  • Level 3 - Avoid all non-essential travel
  • Level 4 - Avoid all travel

To be eligible for travel insurance, you must be covered by your provincial or territorial health insurance plan. If your trip exceeds the maximum number of days that you can be absent established by the province or territory, an exemption request must be completed.

Choose the province or territory to view the extended absence rules that apply.

Yes, except for sports on the list of exclusions found in the insurance booklet available on your Client Centre.

Yes, in part. RAMQ's provincial health insurance plan does not cover all medical expenses when you travel abroad. Without travel insurance, a simple flu could result in significant expenses and cost thousands of dollars.

Travel protection tool

Covered or not?

Use our interactive travel insurance tool to quickly learn if your coverage will apply based on the risk level in effect.